Group: Hospitals wrong to give baby formula to new moms

Free samples undercut goal of more breastfeeding

Consumer group Public Citizen on Monday rapped hospitals in South Florida and nationally for giving free samples of baby formula to new moms, saying it undercuts the goal of more breastfeeding.

About 85 percent of Florida hospitals stuff cans of formula or coupons into gift bags that families take home with their new babies, state figures show. Health experts said the temptation to use the freebies can erode the resolve of mothers who want to breastfeed.

South Florida hospitals already are taking steps. Amid the criticism, four of eight baby-delivering hospitals in Broward County and 10 of 13 in Miami-Dade County joined a campaign to become more breastfeeding-friendly, such as by cutting out freebie formula.

"We know we can do better," said Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association, which runs the campaign. "Hospitals do not do a good job uniformly promoting breastfeeding. How well they do is more catch as you can, the luck of your draw. Who your nurse was, whether they were a proactive supporter of breastfeeding, how assertive the parents were."

Public Citizen joins the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which called on hospitals to stop the giveaways last summer. CDC officials said hospitals are reluctant to drop the freebies because of money: manufacturers often repay by donating all the formula hospitals need for their own nurseries.

Pediatric experts recommend feeding babies breast milk exclusively for the first six months, calling it superior to formula. It contains 200 ingredients, including antibodies to build the baby's immune system, while formulas are based on cow's milk with added nutrients. Some brands contain corn syrup, added sugar and processed products that health experts consider less desirable.

Public Citizen sent letters criticizing free formula to 2,600 hospitals that deliver babies, including all eight in Broward County and six in Palm Beach County. South Florida is fertile ground for formula sales, with about 65,000 births a year.

The formula makers — led by Mead Johnson's Enfamil, Abbott Nutrition's Similac and Nestle's Gerber Products — take the stance that breastfeeding is preferred but their products serve as alternatives for mothers who have problems breastfeeding or who choose not to.

The International Formula Council, which represents manufacturers, defended the gift-bag giveaways as harmless and popular with new mothers. A spokeswoman said a federally funded study in 2008 found no proof that freebies affect whether mothers breastfeed.

"Mothers should be trusted to make good choices for their babies according to their individual family circumstances," the council said in a statement.

The South Florida campaign uses grant money to start hospitals on the road to baby-friendly practices, including supplying 2,000 formula-free gift bags.

Some mothers say the samples have an impact.

"Everybody is pounding you to use formula. Your relatives, the nurses, Enfamil, Similac, Gerber," said Rebecca Capel, a Davie mother of two. "These gift bags just add to the pressure when you get home."